Base or pedestal for chairs, tables, stands and the like



E. K. GROVES June 8, 1965 BASE OR PEDESTAL FOR CHAIRS, TABLES, STANDS-AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A-OGE/V' A. 699 7 5 BYMm MJ+ E. K. GROVES June 8, 1965 BASE OR PEDESTAL FOR CHAIRS, TABLES,STANDS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,183,033 BASE RPEDESTAL FOR (ZHAIRS, TABLES, STANDS AND THE LIKE Eugene K. Groves, 131Moran Road, Grosse Pointe Farms 36, Mich. Filed Nov. 5, 1962, Set. No.235,195 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-4887) This invention relates generally to abase or pedestal and refers more particularly to a base or pedestal forchairs, tables, stands and the like.

It is an essential object of this invention to provide a base orpedestal for the support of chairs, tables, stands and the like, inwhich the hub and legs of the base or pedestal are formed as separateelements which may be quickly assembled and when assembled result in avery strong and rigid structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a base or pedestal inwhich the hub and legs may be formed as separate castings. This providesa less expensive structure and one in which the separate parts may beconveniently buffed and finished before assembly. A onepiece structurecan be very diiiicult to finish.

Another object is to provide a base or pedestal having separately formedhub and legs in which the number of legs used may be varied.

Another object is to provide a base or pedestal comprising a hub havingangularly spaced grooves of dovetail section extending upwardly from thelower end thereof, and legs having inner end portions of dovetailsection engaged in the grooves and insertable from the lower end of thehub.

Another object is to provide a base or pedestal having means, preferablyin the form of a disc-like retainer secured to the bottom of the hub,for retaining the legs in the grooves of the hub.

Another object is to provide a base or pedestal in which the disc-likeretainer has upwardly extending flange portions at the margin engaged innotches in the undersurfaces of the legs to provide a more rigidsupport.

Another object is to provide a base or pedestal which may beeconomically produced and one in which the parts may be stored andshipped in a knocked-down condition and readily set up.

Other objects an features of the invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing a base or pedestal embodying myinvention, and showing also a portion of a supported post mountedthereon.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical section 7 taken on the line22 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view with parts in section taken on theline 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the base or pedestal,taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but with the chair post 12. Sincethe base is adapted for use with United States Patent 0 a wide varietyof chair structures, the chair or seat is not illustrated. Oflicechairs, for example, are commonly provided with a post such asconventionally indicated at 12. As will appear more fully hereinafter,the base or pedestal is also adapted for use as a support for otherstructures such as tables, stands and the like.

Referring to FIGURES 1-7, the base or pedestal 10 comprises a hub 14 theouter surface of which is cylindrical and of uniform diameter from endto end. The hub is provided with a central axial bore 16 open at bothends and also with the angularly spaced radially opening or facinggrooves 18. The grooves 18 extend from the bottom or lower end 20 of thehub in an upward direction, that is axially with respect to the hub. Thelower end 20 extends at right angles to the axis of the hub. The innerwalls 22 of the grooves are preferably outwardly curved as seen inFIGURES 3 and 6, and extend parallel to the hub axis. These grooves openat the bottom end of the hub and terminate in spaced relation to the topend thereof to provide leg supporting seats 24. The dovetailcrosssectional shape of the grooves is best illustrated in FIG- URES 3and 6 in which it will be seen that the sides 26 of each groove convergetoward one another in an outward direction. These sides 26 are generallyflat surfaces and preferably they taper toward each other slightly, inan upward direction, so that they will have a close fit with the legs ofthe base or pedestal, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

The legs 28 are rigid elongated members having inner end portions 3t? ofdovetail cross-section, that is the opposite flat sides 32 of each innerend portion converge toward one another in an outward direction, as seenin FIGURES 3 and 6, at the same angle that the sides 26 of each hubgroove converge. Preferably also the sides 32 of the inner end portionof each leg are somewhat closer together at the top than at the bottomso that they have a slight upward taper corresponding to the upward aperof the sides 26 of the hub grooves. Accordingly, the inner end portionsof the legs will have a close fit within the grooves in fullsurface-to-surface contact therewith.

The radiallly inner surfaces 34 of the inner end portions 30 of the legshave a concave curvature corresponding to the shape of the irmersurfaces 22 of the hub grooves to have a close surface-to-surfaceengagement therewith in assembly. The legs are provided at their outerends with sockets 36 to receive the spindles 38 of casters 40.

The legs are assembled with the hub by inserting the inner end portionsof the legs into the hub grooves from the bottom. The legs will slidesmoothly into the assembled position shown in the drawings in which theupper end surfaces 42 of the inner end portions of the legs 'contact theseats 24 at the upper ends of the grooves,

and the surfaces 32 and 34 of the legs have a full surfaceto-surfaceengagement with the surfaces 18 and 22 of the grooves.

The legs are secured to the hub by a flat disc-like member 46 secured tothe bottom end surface 20 of the hub. The member 46 is secured to thehub by threaded fasteners 48 which extend through holes in the member 46and thread into the hub in the spaces between the grooves. Preferablyalso, threaded fasteners 50 extend through holes in the disc-like member46 and thread into the dove-tail inner end portions of the legs toprovide a more rigid assembly.

The hub is preferably a casting and has an annular recess 52 in itsupper end. The recess 52 saves material. A tubular post bearing member54 extends through the bore 16 in the hub and has a collar 55 at theupper end extending over and engaging the upper end of the hub insidethe recess. The collar extends over and closes the recess.

It will be noted that each of the three surfaces 32 and 34 of the innerend portion of each leg is formed with elongated shallow grooves 57 ofarcuate cross-section. These grooves are substantially parallel and runfrom one end of the inner end portion to the other, being open at bothends. Prior to assembly the grooves 57 are filled with 'a suitableadhesive, preferably an adhesive of the epoxy resin type. When assembledin the grooves of the hub, the epoxy resin in the grooves 57 of the legscontact and adhere to the surfaces of the hub grooves. The epoxy resinadhesive then sets and hardens and forms an extremely strong bondbetween the hub and the legs. This in effect bonds the legs and hubtogether into an integral unit, providing a much stronger assembly. Theepoxy resin is designated 58 and it will be seen to contact both thesurfaces of the grooves 57 and surfaces of the hub grooves. The threepoint contact for each leg provides a very strong integral assemblyresisting the tendency toward relative movement of the parts in anydirection.

In use, the post extending beneath the chair or other member to besupported, such as the post 12 in FIGURE 1, has a pin 55 which slipsinto the post bearing member 54 and is supported thereby.

Referring to FIGURE 6, in some adaptations fewer than the maximum numberof legs may be employed. Under these circumstances the extra hub groovesmay be filled by plugs 60, which are formed of the same dovetail sectionas the inner ends of the legs but which terminate in outer surfaces 62which are curved to blend and extend flush with the outer cylindricalsurface of the hub.

FIGURE 8 shows an adaptation in which the base or pedestal is shownsupporting a table or stand 64. As there shown, one of the legs isomitted and a plug 60 is secured in the unused groove. It will beunderstood that in some adaptations the caster wheels may be omitted.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a modification in which the leg retaining member46' is exactly like the member 46 de: scribed above, except that it hasa marginal upturned annular flange 66. In this embodiment the legs 28'are provided in their undersurfaces with notches 68 which receives theflange 66. The notches are of the same outline and configuration as theflanges to closely receive the flanges, and it will be understood thatthe notches will extend through the opposite sides or surfaces of thelegs.

The hubs and the legs in the commercial embodiment of the invention maybe formed as die castings and of course are formed separately.Preferably, the legs have steel bar inserts 75 around which the legcasting is formed, to provide additional strength. The casting materialmay be any suitable material, such as zinc for example. The legs may beformed of the general cross-section shown with transverse andlongitduinal struts or braces cast in. Actually, many othercross-sections, such as a T-section for example, could be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

A base or pedestal for chairs, tables, stands and the like, comprising avertically disposed cylindrical die cast hub having a central verticalbore therethrough and having angularly spaced, radially outwardlyopening leg receiving grooves of dovetail cross-section extendingupwardly from the lower end thereof, the upper ends of said groovesconstituting leg seats, die cast legs projecting radially from said huband having inner end portions of dovetail cross-section slidably fittingsaid grooves in said hub and insertable therein from the lower endsthereof, reinforcing bars cast in said legs to strengthen the same, theupper edges of said legs being in thrust engagement with said leg seats,said grooves and inner end portions of said legs tapering in an upwarddirection and being in full surface-to-surface engagement with eachother, said hub having fastener receiving holes in the lower end thereofdisposed between said grooves, said legs having fastener receiving holesin the lower edge of the inner end portions thereof, a tubular postreceiving member fitted in said bore of said hub, said post receivingmember having a collar adjacent its upper end supported on the upper endof said hub, and extending downwardly beneath the lower end of said hub,a disc-like leg securing member sleeved upon said post receiving memberacross the lower end of said hub in overlapping relation to the lowerends of said grooves and having holes therein aligned with said fastenerreceiving holes in said hub and legs, fasteners extending through saidaligned holes to secure said leg securing member to said hub, said legsecuring member having a marginal upturned annular flange extendingalong the radially outer surface of said hub, said legs having notchesin the lower edges thereof receiving said anuular flange, said inner endportions of legs having vertically extending recesses thereincooperating with said grooves to define channels, and adhesive materialin said channels bonding said inner end portions permanently to saidgrooves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,919 6/00Vordtriede 287127 1,510,661 10/24 Ellingsen 248l 1,571,308 2/26 Vaaler248-l65 1,709,446 4/29 Travers 248-188.7 1,717,142 6/29 Bump 248188.71,890,456 12/32 Cushman 248--158 2,026,298 12/35 Bouman 108136 2,053,3829/36 Stickley 20-92 2,913,208 11/59 McKinley 248l88.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 124,526 4/49 Sweden.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner,

